Conveyer chain



Dec. 6, 1949 H. FREEMAN 2, 90,682

CONVEYE'R CHAIN Filed Jan. 5, 1946 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR.f/azyyfiee/wa/z Arromv'vs.

Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER CHAIN HarryFreeman, Providence, R. I.

Application January 5, 1946, Serial No. 639,303

4 Claims. (01. 198-477) This invention relates to improvements inflexible chains for conveyors.

A conveyor construction to which this invention has particular referencecomprises an endless tubular track through which is propelled a flexiblechain having vertically disposed wheels for contacting the bottom of thetrack and horizontal wheels for contacting the sides of the track whengoing around horizontal curves. The track is open at the bottom and worksupporting pendants extend through this opening and are attached to aload bar carried by alternate links of the chain. The chain consists ofa plurality of units, each comprising two frames movably connected toeach other. disposed wheels and the other frame a horizontally disposeddouble wheel.

An object of this invention is the provision of a flexible chainconstruction economical to manuiacture and which will tend to increasethe general efficiency and desirability of a conveyor of this particularcharacter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a chain constructionwhich may be employed with an exposed track.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a chain constructionwhich may be propelled along the track in either direction by merelyreversing the direction of movement of the power source.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a chain constructionin which the load supporting pendant may be attached directly on theaxle of the wheel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a chain constructionin which each wheel axle carrying section will be similar inconstruction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a link sectionconnector construction so as to provide a universal joint connectionbetween adjacent links.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the oppended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically a suspendedconveyor track forming part of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a fragmentary portion of thetrack showing a portion of the conveyor chain therein;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

One frame supports a pair of vertically 2 Fig. 4 is a sectional viewtaken substantially along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view or a link section; Fig. 6 is a perspeetiveview of a link section con- 5 nector;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating tw'o link sections connectedtogether;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a modified chain constructioh showing theapplication of the invention 1'0 to an open track;

Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially along line 8-4 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the link section shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a section of a further link modification.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of theinvention, it designates generally a tubular track which may besuspended in any appropriate and approved manner so as to be at adesired height. Through this track there is propelled a flexible chaindesignated generally H, comprising link sections i2 having a bodyportion [3. One end of the body has an extension I4 which extendsatright angles to the body portion from either side thereof. The otherend of the body has a similar extension 15. The extensions at theopposite ends of the body are at substantially right angles to eachother and have at the ends thereof mounting p-intles It. The pintles maybe formed integral with the extension M, [5 or may be in the form of apin iii '(see Fig. 11) received in a bore It" provided in such extensionl4, l5 as shown. The body portion also has a wheel axle H which extendsfrom opposite sides of the body as at is. On the end portions of thisaxle; wheels I9 are mounted, these wheels being provided withantifriction rollers '20. The sections [2 are positioned to extend endto end and a connector 2*! for operatively' connecting the sections ispositioned between adjacent sections. The connectors are of a simuarconstruction and each comprises; two air of spaced waus 22, 22, and 23,23, connected by a wall '24. The walls 22, 22, and 23, 23, are disposedat substantially right angles to each other. The walls 22 have alignedbearing openings and the walls 23 have aligned bearing openings 26. Theadjacent pintles of adjacent sections are journaled in the openings 25,2t and their end extremities are upset to secure the same in place.Since the pair of walls 22, '23 are disposed at right angles to eachother, the link sections attached thereto will swing 56 about axes atright angles to each other, thereby forming a universal joint connectionbetween adjacent sections.

It will be apparent that the wheel axle of alternate link sections willbe disposed at substantially right angles to the wheel axle on the othersections thereby providing a pair of wheels vertically disposed and apair of wheels horizontally disposed with respect to the track 10. Thevertical wheels will engage the bottom of the track along horizontalportions and the horizontal wheels will engage the vertical sides of thetrack when going around horizontal curves. The track is open at thebottom. Through the opening there extend work supporting devices orpendants 2! which are attached to the chain. The pendant comprises twoplates pivotally secured to each other as at 28. The lower end portionof each plate is deflected outwardly and downwardly providing spacedarms each having an opening 32 which is aligned for receiving a pin 33upon which a hook 33' for supporting the work may be attached. The upperportion of the pendant is similarly formed so as to provide spaced arms34, 35. The end portions of each arm 34, 35 terminate in hook portions36 which are oppositely disposed so as to be attached over the axle I!from opposite sides.

In order to propel this chain through the track, a usual propellermechanism may be used and modified to include a dog 31. The dog willengage the edge of the wall 24 of the connector 2! when propelling thechain in one direction and engaging the edge 38 when propelling thechain in the opposite direction. An opening 39 is provided in the upperportion of the track through which the dog 31 may extend.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified application of the invention. In thisapplication, the axle I! is omitted from the chain section 12 and abracket 40 is attached to the body 13 by means of a clamp element 4| andscrews 42. At opposite ends of this bracket, there are provided Wheelaxles 43 each of which mount a wheel 44. One wheel engages the upperedge of an exposed track 45 and the other wheel engages the lower edgeof the track. The track may be secured to a brackt 46 suspended at aproper height in any approved manner. Alternate sections of thismodified chain may be provided with a bracket 40 for supporting wheel 44and the other sections with hook elements 41 for supporting the workfrom the chain.

I claim: 7

1. A conveyor chain comprising a plurality of link sections each havinga mounting pintle at opposite ends thereof disposed at substantiallyright angles to each other and with the sections positioned to extendend to end and a rigid connector between adjacent sections havingbearing openings with the axes thereof disposed at substantially rightangles to each other and in which is journaled the adjacent pintles ofadjacent sections providing a universal joint connection between each ofsaid sections, each section having intermediate the ends thereof an axleextending on opposite sides of the body, and wheels rotatably mounted onsaid axle.

2. A conveyor chain comprising a plurality of link sections each havinga mounting pintle at opposite ends thereof disposed at substantiallyright angles to each other and with the sections positioned to extendend to end, each section having an axle thereon intermediate its endsfor rotatably mounting a wheel on each section, and a rigid connectorbetween adjacent sections having bearings openings with the axes thereofdisposed at substantially right angles to each other and in whichopenings are j ournaled the adjacent pintles of adjacent sectionsproviding a universal joint connection between each of said sections.

3. A conveyor chain comprising a plurality of link sections each havinga body portion provided with mounting pintles at opposite ends thereofdisposed at substantially right angles to each other and with thesections positioned to extend end to end, each section having an axlethereon intermediate its ends extending on opposite sides of the bodyportion for rotatably mounting a wheel on opposite sides of said body,and a rigid connector positioned between adjacent sections havingbearing openings with the axes thereof disposed at substantially rightangles to each other and in which openings are journaled the adjacentpintles of adjacent sections providing a universal joint connectionbetween each of said sections.

4. A conveyor chain comprising a plurality of link sections each havinga body portion provided with aligned mounting pintles extending fromopposite sides of the body at opposite ends thereof and with the pintlesat one end of the body disposed at substantially right angles to thepintles at the opposite end of the body and with the sections positionedto extend end to end with the adjacent pintles of adjacent sectionsbeing disposed at substantially right angles to each other, each sectionhaving an axle thereon intermediate the ends thereof and extending onopposite sides of the body, wheels rotatably mounted on said axle onopposite sides of the body, and a rigid connector positioned betweenadjacent sections having pairs of spaced aligned openings in which saidadjacent pintles are pivotally journaled.

HARRY FREEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 851,701 Spears Apr. 30, 19071,000,107 Morris Aug. 8, 1911 1,893,141 Kampfer Jan. 3, 1933 2,187,498Landahl Jan. 16, 1940 2,372,199 Hassler Mar. 2'7, 1945

